Bent County register., 1887-07-09

is probable with any other where wa
ter is freely used and care taken of
the plants and trees. The fields of
alfalfa, and the town in general as
well as drive to adjoining farms
was next taken. The first crop of
alfalfa has been cut, and stacked,
and the second crop well under way,
being about ten inches high since the
cutting week ago. Four crops are
raised of this excellent hay which
will average one and half to two
tons of cured hay per acre to the cut
ting, and which will bring from eight
to eleven dollars per ton on the track.
Alfalfa is certainly the crop here,
and should receive the attention of
the people of southwest Kansas, as
what will flourish here will certainly
give as good results there.
After studying the alfalfa crop
and looking over the splendid fields
of corn, sweet potatoes, watermelons,
and oats-remark, there are ''fields
of watermelons and sweet potatoes
here, Colonel Swink having about
100 acres of watermelons, and one
fonrth that of sweet potatoes, while
another farmer whose name escapes
us just now but who is within . mile
of Rocky Ford, has about half this
area of each crop, after this wonder
full sight our drive was finished by
visiting the wonderful 4fnd" of Gus
Hansbrough-one of the old tinmers
of Leayenworth and of -bilene-a
mountain of pure ochre! That tho
mineral is genuine is proven by as
says from leading chemists of St.
Louis, Chicago, Kansas City and
Denver, and an actual test of it ou
several houses in Rocky Ford, which
were primed with it by simply crush
ing the large pieces as it WA cut
from the sides of the tunnel with an
axe, and mixing it with boiled oil
and applying with paint brush. It
not only made an excellant primihg.
but left a good, solid, ochre color,
which with second application,
would be all that is necessary for
barns or ont-houses, while preparing
fora finishing coat of any color on
residences or business houses. II
this proves to be as good as it prom
ises, it will bring fortune to the
discoverer and furnish a new indus
try to this country, as this ochre is
practically inexhaustible, having been
found clean and free from any and
all impurities on three sides of the
hill on which the first discovery was
made-just one mile south of the
town, and within few rods of the
Catlin ditch and canal. In addition
to this ochre there is excellent brick
clay, which is beng used In second
kiln that has been burned for the
several buildings that will be built
of that material, and three miles
north and on the opposite side of the
river,a an excellent quality of building
stone is found in inexhaustible guam
titles. Truly, with an excellent soil
surrounding her, and with 100000
acres of it under the great canals, an
lnexhaustible supply of water, of
building stone, of clay for brick and
ochre for paint, and positive proof of
the soil and climate being well adapt
ed to the successful propagation of
fruits, vegetables and cereals, and
live, energetic people to push the
country aud the country's resources
to the highest point. Rocky Ford
is on a pretty straight and broad road
to success. This might be tru' hful-
ly said of this whole couDtr, of
Southwest Kansas and Southeast
Colorado.